ON THE NEED FOR IMPROVEMENT 



regarded as food staples, as they certainly should 

 be. 



As an illustration, take the case of the straw- 

 berry. This was about the first small fruit com- 

 mercially grown in the United States to any great 

 extent. Early in the 19th century a few were raised 

 in New Jersey for the market in New York City. 

 Those who first engaged in this enterprise soon 

 found that to keep up with the increasing demand, 

 it was necessary to go into the business on a much 

 larger scale, and raising strawberries by the acre 

 for the market became an industry. 



At the time it was prophesied that there would 

 be an over-production of strawberries, and that 

 they could not be sold. But now whole train-loads 

 of strawberries and other berries are brought into 

 New York City daily during the season. 



Probably a carload of strawberries is consumed 

 today in the United States to every cultivated 

 strawberry that was eaten one hundred years ago. 



The consumption of the tree-fruits, grapes, and 

 other small fruits has increased in a somewhat 

 similar proportion. 



America has had an important share in recent 

 fruit advancement. When the immigrants came 

 from other countries to America they usually 

 brought with them some of the seeds or cuttings 

 of their favorite fruits; these were planted and 



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